Sociopath
by SVUfan18
Summary: SVU is chasing an 11 year old sociopath. It ends badly and Olivia has a difficult time coping. Will Elliot be able to help her through it?  Chapter 4 is rated M.
1. Chapter 1

**Sociopath**

"Let her go!" Olivia yelled. "Cameron Hughes, put the gun down and let the girl go."

SVU's 11 year old suspect was holding a young girl hostage in an abandoned warehouse. Olivia was the first one on the scene. Elliot, Fin, Munch and the SWAT team weren't far behind her. Her plan was to distract the boy long enough for the others to arrive in hopes they could disarm him without anyone getting hurt.

"Cameron, we can talk about this. We can get you some help, but you have to put the gun down," Olivia said. The young girl being held hostage started to cry.

"Shut up!" Cameron yelled before he smacked the girl's face. Olivia cringed, silently begging Elliot and the others to hurry.

"Cameron..."

"Shut up! Stop talking to me!" the boy interrupted her.

Olivia took a deep breath. She hated the cases that involved kids. Children were so innocent, they had their entire lives ahead of them, so much potential and for anyone to have the arrogance to steal that from them was despicable. This case was even more complicated as their suspect was a child himself. Olivia wasn't too surprised after meeting his mother though.

Cameron's mother was a horrible woman. Elliot and Olivia had met her not long after they had been assigned to this case. After digging into Cameron's history they found multiple visits to the hospital with black eyes, bruises, broken bones, malnourishment, burns, cuts, and the like. There was no doubt he had been abused. He also had a criminal record; animal cruelty, theft, and minor arson. Now he was escalating. The abused was becoming the abuser. It wasn't the first time SVU had seen it happen.

Cameron had used his charm to con, Hailey, a third grader from his school, to leave with him. The SVU squad had been scouring the area, tracking their movements when Olivia got a lead. As soon as she arrived at the warehouse she heard Cameron and the girl inside. She radioed Elliot before entering.

"We can all walk out of here Cameron, nobody has to get hurt. You gotta let Hailey go though," Olivia told him.

"Liv, I'm pulling up now. I'll go around back, just keep him talking," she heard Elliot say through her earpiece. As she was listening to Elliot, Cameron cocked his gun and started raising his arm towards Olivia. He took a step towards Olivia, pushing Hailey and causing her to fall.

Olivia squeezed the trigger of her already aimed gun, firing one shot directly into Cameron's heart. She heard Elliot screaming her name as she watched the boy drop to floor. Munch and Fin ran past her. Fin kicked the gun away from Cameron and checked for a pulse and Munch grabbed Hailey and took her out to his car.

Elliot took the gun out of Olivia's shaking hand. He kept saying her name, trying to get her attention but she was frozen, staring at the dead boy lying in the pool of blood. Her mouth was hanging open and her eyes were wide. Elliot moved between Olivia and Cameron, blocking her from seeing him. He put his hand on her shoulder and turned her around. He guided her out towards his car.

Cragen, Warner, and CSU were arriving on scene. The ambulance had already arrived. Hailey was in the back being checked out. Munch was with her. The scene was quickly growing more and more chaotic and there were a growing number of civilians gathering to see what was going on. Elliot's only concern at that point was Olivia. She seemed to be in shock. Fin got a blanket from the ambulance and wrapped it around Olivia.

"Liv, Baby, you ok?" Fin asked.

"Cameron, is he... is he gonna be ok?" Olivia asked.

Elliot and Fin looked at each other. Cameron was clearly dead, Olivia had to know that.

"No Liv," Elliot said softly.

"Yes!" Olivia told him. "He has to be. Why aren't they putting him in the ambulance? They should be over there trying to help him..."

"Liv," Elliot interrupted her. She looked at him and he just shook his head.

"I... I killed him? No! That can't be right!" Olivia started freaking out.

"Better get her back to the house," Fin said to Elliot. "Don't want all these media vultures putting their spin on this tragedy." Fin knew it didn't matter if it was a good shoot or not, when it came to the media and an officer involved shooting, things usually got turned around so the cop looked like the bad guy. He didn't want the media capturing Olivia's raw emotional state and twisting it to misrepresent her.

"I'll take her," Elliot said, opening the passenger side door to his car.

* * *

"What happened today?" Huang asked.

"Cameron died," Olivia answered directly and quietly.

"How does that make you feel?"

Olivia scrunched her eyebrows at Huang. "How does that make me feel? How does that make me feel!" Olivia repeated, getting increasingly agitated. "I killed an 11 year old boy, a kid, _a victim_. That boy has been abused his whole life, he never had a chance and I came along and ended his life! How would you feel!" Olivia was irate; she stood and began pacing frantically around the interview room.

Huang sat still and watched Olivia pace around as he patiently listened to her. "What about Hailey?" he asked her softly.

"Hailey? Hailey's fine," Olivia said. She was so focused on Cameron that she hadn't thought much about Hailey.

Huang knew it wasn't at all like Olivia to disregard a victim but she wasn't thinking clearly. "Hailey is going to be ok because of you Olivia. What do you think Cameron would have done to her if you hadn't been there?" he asked.

"God only knows," Olivia said quietly, shaking her head. "But I didn't have to shoot him. There had to be another way. I didn't have to take his life!" she was starting to get angry again.

"He pulled a gun on you. He primed his weapon and was aiming it at you Olivia." There was a little more desperation in Huang's voice as he tried to get through to Olivia.

Olivia sat down in the chair in front of Huang again. She thought for a moment. "Yah," she finally mumbled. She knew she wasn't going to win this argument with Huang. She was sure he didn't know what it was like to take the life of a young boy. "I gotta go. I have some paper work to do," she said quietly as she stood and exited the room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"AAHHHH!" Olivia screamed, startling everyone in the squad room. She grabbed her computer monitor and began violently shaking it. She didn't even care if she broke it. Olivia was having one of the worst mornings she could remember. The entire week had gone south after the shooting but that morning was filled with its own challenges. The power had gone off in the middle of the night which messed up her alarm clock. She had no clean clothes. It was pouring rain. It took her forever to catch a cab to work. Her phone had crashed. The precinct was out of coffee and she had a mountain of paperwork on her desk. She was attempting to get some work done when her computer froze up.

Hot tears welled up in Olivia's eyes. She got up and walked out of the precinct before anyone noticed she was crying. She couldn't believe she had just caused a big scene, but she didn't really care at that point. She just wanted to escape.

"Liv?" Cragen called as she raced past him. He had come out of his office when he heard the screaming.

"I got her Captain," Elliot said as he grabbed his jacket and took off after Olivia.

Elliot found Olivia sitting on a bench across from the precinct in the pouring rain. He considered running back inside quickly to grab an umbrella but decided against it. He had known Olivia a long time and had never seen her act like that. Ever since Cameron had died Olivia had been pretty out of it. Her meltdown that morning really had Elliot worried.

Elliot hurried across the street towards Olivia.

"Leave me alone El," Olivia said quietly. She was soaking wet. Her head was hanging and her hair was dripping as if she were standing in a shower.

Elliot sat down next to Olivia but didn't say anything. He could hear Olivia's teeth chattering. He wasn't sure if she was cold or crying.

"I don't think I can do this anymore El," Olivia finally spoke. "I sold so much of myself to this job; I don't think there's anything left of me."

"Liv, I will support you no matter what you decide, but I'm not sure this is the time to make that kind of a decision. I think you need to take some time off, clear your head, figure out what's..."

A city bus flew by them as Elliot was talking. The puddle in the street in front of them was suddenly a wall of water spraying them as the wheels of the bus cut through it. They were both completely drenched. Elliot was freezing and miserable. He knew Olivia was defeated and had given up. She didn't even flinch when the water from the puddle splashed her.

"Come on Liv," Elliot said as he stood. "You're gonna get sick."

"I don't care," Olivia said, her quiet voice barely audible over the traffic and pounding rain.

Elliot gently took Olivia's arm and helped her up, "Let's get you inside and into some dry clothes."

Olivia let Elliot lead her back into the building. She was despondent. She sunk into her chair when she reached her desk.

"Aren't you going to change?" Elliot asked her softly. Olivia shook her head as she stared blankly at the mess of paperwork on her desk. Elliot looked at her for a moment but didn't know what to say. He went to his locker and grabbed his change of clothes before making his way to the bathroom.

"Elliot?" Cragen asked as he entered the bathroom. Huang was right behind him.

"Sorry Captain, I had to change," Elliot replied, thinking Cragen was wondering where he'd disappeared to.

"How is she?" Cragen's voice was filled with concern.

"I don't know," Elliot said, his voice low and equally concerned. "I think the Cameron Hughes shooting really got to her."

"Those were my thoughts too," Cragen agreed. "What do we do Doc?" Cragen asked, turning his attention to Huang.

"Olivia is having a hard time seeing Cameron as a perp, instead she feels like she killed a victim and it's tearing her up. She really shouldn't be alone right now. I'm worried," Huang said.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa Doc. If you're suggesting Olivia is suicidal or something then you're wrong," Elliot said firmly.

"That's not what I'm saying Elliot. I'm saying your partner is sitting at her desk, freezing cold, in soaking wet clothes staring blankly into space. I'm worried she isn't taking care of herself, eating, going to bed at night, simple things like that. It all adds up over time."

Cragen looked at Elliot."Take her home," he said. "Take care of our girl and call me." He patted Elliot on the shoulder before they turned and exited the bathroom.

"Come on Liv," Elliot whispered to her. She hadn't moved while he was changing. There was a small puddle forming on her desk. Elliot wrapped her jacket around her shoulders and flipped her hood up over her head. He helped her up from her chair and took her hand. The 16th precinct watched with expressions of fear and worry on their faces as Elliot and Olivia disappeared down the hall.

* * *

Elliot was a little intimidated by the thought of taking care of Olivia. After they entered Olivia's apartment she made her way to her couch and sat down. Elliot closed the door behind them and locked it.

"Liv, you have to change out of your wet clothes," Elliot said softly. Olivia shook her head no. "Why?" Elliot asked her. He sat on her coffee table and faced her. "Liv? Livvie, please talk to me."

"I don't deserve dry clothes. I don't deserve to be comfortable," Olivia said quietly. She turned and layed down on the couch.

"Liv, that's not true. You know that's not true," Elliot said. He knelt on the floor next to Olivia and held her hand.

"Just take me to Central Booking Elliot."

"What?" Elliot asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"I murdered someone. A kid. I deserve to be locked up. I'm ready to go, I'm pleading guilty."

"No, No Liv. Shhh." Elliot sighed. He had no idea what to say or do. He felt way out of his league. "Livvie, will you please put on some dry clothes? For me? Please?" Elliot pleaded with her.

Olivia sat up again. She shook her head no.

Elliot had never seen her so depressed. "When is the last time you slept or had something to eat?"

Olivia shrugged her shoulders but didn't say anything. Elliot smiled at her as he nodded his head. He stood up, took Olivia's arm and guided her back to her bedroom. He dug through her dresser until he found a comfortable looking sweatshirt and pair of jogging pants. He started peeling her wet clothes off of her. Under any other circumstances he would have been extremely turned on but he was too worried about Olivia. He helped her put on the clothes he'd gotten out for her. He grabbed a towel from the bathroom and dried her hair. He took the fleece blanket that was folded neatly at the end of Olivia's bed and led her back out to the living room.

Elliot knew how much Olivia must have been hurting if she was letting him have complete control over her. She was one of the most independent women he knew. He liked taking care of her. He loved her, and he took advantage of any opportunity he could to show her that. He sat down next to her on the couch and spread the blanket out over them. He put his arm around Olivia and pulled her head down to rest on his shoulder.

Olivia nestled her head into Elliot's shoulder. She gave in to her heavy eye lids, as she closed them a lonely tear traced its way down her cheek. The warmth from the blanket and Elliot's body heat, combined with Elliot rubbing her back was too much for Olivia. She didn't want to sleep but her body was exhausted. She hadn't really slept since Cameron had died a week ago. She fought it as long as she could but it didn't take long before she was passed out and drooling on Elliot's shirt.

* * *

"Come in," Cragen called to the person knocking on his door. He looked up to see Munch and Fin entering.

"Captain, we've got a little problem," Fin started.

"Cayden is missing," Munch added.

"Who the hell is Cayden?" Cragen asked, looking at them.

"Cayden is Cameron's twin brother," Munch told him. "Jennifer, their _loving_ mother, just filed a missing persons report. When they saw our case on Cameron they faxed us over a copy," Munch said as he handed the report to Cragen.

"Cameron had a brother? Did we know that?" Cragen asked.

"No, we didn't," Fin answered.

"Where's Dad?" Cragen asked.

"Mom probably killed him," Munch said.

"Dad split before the boys were born. No one has any idea where he is. Probably long gone," Fin said.

"Do you blame him?" Munch asked.

"Well, missing persons isn't ours," Cragen told them.

"But abused children are," Fin told him. "Cameron had the hell beat out of him. Don't tell me mommy dearest did that to one child and not the other."

"Ok," Cragen said. "Get a subpoena for his medical records and school records. Let's check him out and be sure before confronting the mom." Cragen handed the missing persons report back to Munch before they exited his office.

Munch paused at the door and turned back towards Cragen. "Captain?" Cragen looked up at him. "I saw Hailey last night, she was asking for Olivia. I was going to tell her this morning, but, well..."

"I'll take care of it John."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Olivia had stretched out on the couch and was resting her head in Elliot's lap. She was sound asleep. Elliot was flipping channels while rubbing her back. His phone vibrated across the end table. He looked at the caller ID before answering.

"What's up Captain?" he said quietly, trying not to wake Olivia.

"Two things," Cragen answered. "Munch saw Hailey last night and she was asking for Olivia. I talked to Huang and he said it might be good to take her to see Hailey. Maybe if she can connect with the victim it will help her process the shooting."

"Ok," Elliot said, "Text the address to my phone. She's sleeping right now and then we're going to eat something. I'll try to get her over there after that, depending on how she's doing."

"How is she?" Cragen asked.

Elliot hesitated before answering. "I've never seen her like this before Captain. I'm hoping she feels better when she wakes up."

"Ok," Cragen said.

"What's the other thing?" Elliot asked.

It was Cragen's turn to hesitate before answering. "Jennifer filed a missing persons report for Cayden today."

"Jennifer? As in Cameron's Mom? Who's Cayden?" Elliot asked.

"Cayden is Cameron's twin brother."

"What?" Elliot asked, his voice sharp. "We were all over that house when we were chasing Cameron. There was no sign of any other kids living there."

"Munch and Fin are looking into his records, checking to see if he was abused, or troubled. He has no criminal record so I don't think he followed in his brothers sociopathic footsteps."

"Wow," Elliot said. He didn't know how, or if, he was going to tell Olivia. His mind was racing as he hung up the phone with Cragen. He didn't know if Cameron had been abused, or if he was a criminal, or a threat to himself or others. He didn't know what to think.

Olivia began to stir in his lap. He started rubbing her back again as she woke up.

"How are you feeling?" Elliot asked quietly.

Olivia sat up, stretched and yawned. "I don't know," she answered. "I think I'm hungry."

"Good," Elliot said smiling at her. "Let's go get something to eat."

Olivia changed her clothes before heading out to the car with Elliot.

"Liv, I have to tell you something," Elliot said as they were finishing up their meal. He wasn't sure if he should tell Olivia about Cayden or not but he knew she would be angry if he didn't. Olivia looked at him. "Cameron had a brother Liv, a twin named Cayden. He's missing. His Mom reported it this morning."

"He had a brother?" Olivia asked quietly. "How did I miss that?"

"Same way I did," Elliot said. "There was no sign of any other children in that house."

"Is he like Cameron? Is he trouble?"

"I don't know," Elliot answered. "Munch and Fin are subpoenaing his records; Cragen said he doesn't have a criminal record. All I know is he's missing."

"We have to get back to the precinct. We need to help them," Olivia insisted.

"Slow down Liv, Cragen sent us home."

"I'm fine now Elliot. I promise. I think I just needed a little sleep or something. Please, take me back. Let's work this."

Elliot thought for a minute. He figured there would probably be no way to talk her out of working this case. "I need you to do something for me first," Elliot told her.

Olivia looked at him suspiciously, worried about what he wanted her to do.

"Munch went and visited with Hailey last night. She was asking for you. We should go by and see her."

"She asked for me?" Olivia said. "Why?"

"Because you saved her life Olivia," Elliot told her as he reached over to hold her hands in his. "You saved her life."

Olivia shook her head back and forth slowly. "I don't know what to say to her El."

"Yes you do," Elliot told her confidently. "We'll go together. I'll be right there with you."

Olivia finally nodded her head after a long pause. "Ok," she said quietly.

On the ride over to Hailey's house Olivia started thinking about what the 8 year old had been through. She had been so focused on Cameron, she hadn't thought much about Hailey. She realized she didn't even know what had happened to the young girl.

"Elliot, what did Cameron do to Hailey?" she asked quietly.

"He conned her into leaving school with him. He held her hostage at gunpoint. He roughed her up a little bit, but you got there and prevented anything worse from happening. She's afraid to leave the house, scared to go to school, she has nightmares. She saw someone die in front of her. She just needs a little encouragement, someone to understand. She needs somebody to tell her everything is going to be ok."

Olivia nodded her head as she listened to Elliot. "Ok," she said quietly when he was finished talking.

Elliot pulled up in front of Hailey's house. He and Olivia walked up to the front door. "Relax Liv. Breathe. You can do this," Elliot told her as he rang the doorbell.

Hailey's mother answered the door and took them back to Hailey's bedroom.

The butterflies in Olivia's stomach calmed when Olivia entered the room and saw Hailey laying on her bed reading. Olivia sat down on the bed next to her and Elliot got the chair from her desk and pulled it over next to them.

"Hi Sweetheart," Olivia started. Hailey put her book on the nightstand and looked at Olivia and then Elliot. They both smiled at her. "How are you doing?" Olivia asked. She had surprised herself with her strength. She figured she wouldn't be able to talk with Hailey. She anticipated falling apart and leaving Elliot to pick up the pieces but after a few minutes in the room she knew she was going to be fine. Talking with victims came naturally to her.

Hailey shrugged her shoulders and Olivia could see tears forming in her eyes. She extended her hand, inviting Hailey to hold on to her. Hailey hesitated, but held hands with Olivia.

"I'm scared," Hailey admitted. Her voice was as quiet as a little mouse.

"What are you scared of Honey?" Olivia asked gently.

"I don't know," Hailey whispered. She covered her face with her hands as her tears overflowed from her eyes. Olivia scooted closer to Hailey and held her while she cried.

"It's ok, Hailey. It's ok to be afraid. Sometimes I get scared too," Olivia told her. She knew younger children almost always thought adults never feared anything. Sometimes admitting their fear was a way in and helped the kids open up.

Hailey took her hands away from her face and looked at Olivia. Olivia smiled at her. She took a tissue from the box on Hailey's nightstand and dried the little girl's tears.

"Everybody is afraid sometimes, but there are people who can help us not be so afraid all the time." Olivia watched as Hailey processed what she was saying. "Have you been to see a counselor yet?" she asked.

Hailey shook her head. "Mommy made me an appointment for tomorrow I think."

"That's great," Olivia said smiling at her.

"What about Cameron?" Hailey asked.

"Honey, Cameron can't hurt you anymore. He can never hurt you again. Ok?"

"What does that mean?" Hailey asked, confused. "Did he get in trouble?" Children often had a difficult time understanding death was permanent. Olivia could feel her anxiety level beginning to rise. She looked over to Elliot for help.

"Hailey, Cameron is gone. He's never coming back," Elliot told her. He knew his answer wasn't much different than Olivia's but he didn't want traumatize Hailey anymore than she already had been. He knew her counselor would help her understand and process the situation better.

Hailey shrugged her shoulders and seemed satisfied with Elliot's answer.

"We have to leave now Hailey," Olivia told her. Hailey nodded her head and picked her book up from the nightstand. Olivia patted her shoulder before standing and following Elliot out of the room.


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: Ok, this chapter got smutty.. so be warned. Sorry, it just happened :)_

**Chapter 4**

"Where are we?" Elliot called out as he and Olivia entered the precinct. Cragen turned around, surprised to see the two of them there. He looked at Olivia.

"I can do this Captain," Olivia assured him. Cragen looked over at Elliot who nodded his head in agreement with Olivia's statement.

"Fin?" Cragen called out.

"Cayden, 11 years old, missing since this morning. No criminal record, no school records, no hospital records except for a birth certificate," Fin said as he handed Elliot the missing persons report and Cayden's birth certificate.

"Nothing?" Elliot asked.

"I think the boy was a prisoner in his own house," Munch said, "but Mom is in the wind. I don't think we're going to get anything out of her anyways."

Elliot handed the papers to Olivia after he skimmed over them. "Liv and I went over that house top to bottom, there was no sign of any other children living there," he said.

"Well, the search warrant just came in. Head over there and see what we missed," Cragen said as he held up the folded piece of paper.

Elliot took the paper from Cragen and they all headed out to the car.

"What the hell?" Fin said after they had searched the house. They were standing in the living room, none of them had found anything.

"Are we even sure this kid exists?" Munch asked. "Or is the mom just screwing with us?"

"He exists," Fin said. "We got his birth certificate."

"Wait a minute," Olivia said. "Have any of you seen a dog?"

The three detectives looked at Olivia, wondering what she was talking about. They shook their heads.

"Nope, no dog," Elliot told her.

"Then why is there a doghouse in the backyard?" Olivia asked, pointing at the back door.

The four of them headed out back and Olivia leaned down to peek into the doghouse.

"Son of a..." Olivia quickly stood and hurried off. Elliot, Munch and Fin all looked into the doghouse.

"I'll call Warner and Cragen," Fin said.

"How old do you think she is?" Munch asked Elliot.

"She can't be more than a year," Olivia said, rejoining the group after throwing up on the side of the house.

"Wait a minute guys," Elliot said. He was kneeling in front of the doghouse. "Somebody was living in here. There's a blanket, a pillow, some food wrappers and a baby bottle. I don't think this is just a dump site for the baby."

"What if Cayden was living in here with the baby?" Fin suggested.

"Could be," Elliot said standing up. "The blanket is spread out neatly and the trash is all tucked away in one corner. It's kind of organized, as organized as a dog house can be." Elliot said.

"This is absurd," Olivia said shaking her head.

"You can say that again," Munch said. "I wonder where our mother of the year disappeared to."

Munch and Fin headed back to the precinct to put a BOLO out on Jennifer Hughes and attempt to track her down. Elliot and Olivia waited for Cragen, Dr. Warner, and the crime scene unit to arrive.

* * *

"It's late," Cragen said, when he returned from the crime scene. "We have no leads. Everybody go home. We'll start fresh tomorrow. Hopefully we'll get something from the BOLO or CSU."

"Anybody up for a drink?" Elliot asked.

Surprisingly everyone decided to go out for a drink after work. Rarely did they all end up at the same bar at the same time. Munch usually went home, while Fin did his own thing. Occasionally Elliot and Olivia would go out for a drink. Elliot was surprised Olivia agreed to go out but pleased. He had hoped out of everyone she would say yes. He was still worried after her meltdown that morning.

The four detectives ordered dinner with their drinks. They took turns playing darts and shooting pool. One by one they headed out. Munch was the first to leave after playing a game of darts. Then Olivia headed out, quickly followed by Elliot leaving Fin in the bar chatting it up with a couple of narco detectives.

"Liv! Wait up!" Elliot called. He ran to catch up with her.

"I can walk El, the fresh air will do me some good," Olivia said, anticipating he was going to offer her a ride.

"It's not that," Elliot said. "Besides, I think I might have had a little too much to be driving."

"Uh-oh," Olivia said. "Do you want to crash at my place? Taxi fare to Queens is insane."

"Are you sure?" Elliot asked.

Olivia weaved her arm between Elliot's elbow and torso and the two of them started walking towards Olivia's apartment. They made small talk along the way. Elliot was impressed at Olivia's resilience. It was only 12 hours ago that she had been unable to function but now it was as if nothing had ever happened.

Olivia unlocked the door to her apartment and turned the lights on as they entered. She laid her stuff down on the counter and took Elliot's jacket and hung it up next to hers in the coat closet.

"I'm gonna get a quick shower, El, make yourself at home," Olivia told him.

Elliot flipped on the TV and stretched out on the couch. By the time Olivia finished her shower and headed back out to the living room she found Elliot leaned over on the couch with no shirt on. Her heart fluttered and a small smile appeared on her face as she took in the sight of her partner's bare chest. She never got tired of looking at him, especially with no shirt on.

Elliot sat up and made room on the couch for Olivia.

"Do you want me to put my shirt back on?" he asked her, unsure if she was uncomfortable or not.

"No, you're fine El," Olivia smiled at him.

Olivia tried to pay attention to show on TV but her eyes kept wandering over to Elliot's chest. She wished he would put his arm around her and hold her close to him but he seemed too involved in whatever sports program he was watching. She decided to be bold and moved closer to him on the couch, pretending to accidentally bump into him to try to get his attention.

"You ok?" he asked, smiling at her. She nodded her head yes and stared into his eyes longer than she should have before turning away.

"I'm kinda cold," Olivia said. Elliot grabbed the fleece blanket he had covered her up with earlier and spread it out over the top of them. He started flipping channels again; assuming Olivia didn't want to watch sports. He stopped on one of the late night talk shows.

It felt so natural to Olivia to be sitting next to Elliot on the couch watching TV. She was tired, and perhaps not thinking as clearly as usual. She curled up closer to Elliot and rested her head on his shoulder before she even realized what she was doing. As soon as her head landed on his shoulder reality hit her and was paralyzed with fear.

Elliot was surprised by his partner's brave move. He put his arm around her, thinking she just needed someone to comfort her. He gently squeezed her shoulder and the back of her neck.

Feeling Elliot's touch reassured Olivia. He hadn't pulled away or questioned her. She was able to breathe again. She reached her arm over, under the blanket and rested it on Elliot's muscular abs. _What the hell am I doing _she thought. Maybe it was the sleep deprivation or the alcohol she had consumed at the bar, she wasn't sure but she was touching Elliot in a way she had only ever imagined. She moved her hand up his abs to his chest and then the side of his neck before bringing it back down.

Elliot was taken aback by Olivia's advances. He wasn't sure if he was reading her correctly when she had rested her hand on his abs, but he was pretty sure he knew what she going for when she started caressing his chest and neck. He continued working at Olivia's upper back and neck with one hand and with the other hand took her hand and started inching it towards his waistline.

Olivia lifted her head up off of Elliot's chest and looked up towards him. He looked at her for a moment before leaning in slightly towards her. When she didn't back away he pressed his lips to hers. He then kissed her cheek and neck before returning to her lips. This time he opened his mouth, hoping she would do the same.

Olivia opened her mouth and let Elliot in. Their tongues met in a passionate kiss. She moved her hand over his dress pants and felt the growing bulge that was waiting for her. She felt Elliot buck his hips into her hand. She rolled her body on top of him so she was sitting on his lap, straddling him. She started grinding her hips into his as his hands explored under her shirt.

Elliot was pleased to find Olivia hadn't put a bra on after her shower. He rubbed his thumbs over both of her nipples while she sat grinding on him. He slowly pulled her shirt up over head, revealing her beautiful breasts and toned belly. He grabbed her hips firmly with both hands and held her still while he kissed her breasts. He knew if she kept going he wasn't going to last very long.

With Elliot holding her hips still, Olivia's hands quickly made their way between his legs and began rubbing at his length. She could hear him groaning in pleasure.

Elliot slipped his hand between Olivia's legs over her sweatpants. He could feel her trying to break free from his grip to move her hips against him.

"Come on," he whispered. He took her hand and led her back to the bedroom. They hardly got through the door before Olivia was reaching for the button on Elliot's pants.

Olivia had no trouble releasing the button or zipper on Elliot's pants. He stepped out of them after they dropped to the floor. Olivia was mesmerized by bulge hidden only by the thin cotton of his briefs. Elliot removed Olivia's pants and panties before stripping off his underwear.

Elliot laid Olivia down on the bed. He took a moment to take in the sight of her nude body before climbing on top of her. He moved his hips back and forth. He hadn't entered her yet but his penis was poking at her opening, making Olivia go crazy. She bucked her hips up towards him but he pulled back slightly, not wanting to enter her yet. He kissed his way up her shoulder, then her neck, until he reached her lips again. He held her hips against the bed while he continued teasing her.

"Elliot, please," Olivia whispered longingly into his ear.

"Please what?" Elliot asked before kissing her ear.

Olivia's eyes rolled back in her head with all the stimulation Elliot was providing. Poking at her entrance, his hot breath against her skin, then the light gentle kisses. Her senses were so overwhelmed she was unable to speak. She let out a deep, satisfied moan. Elliot captured her moan with another deep kiss. He let go of her hips and lined himself up with her entrance. Before he could enter her Olivia was thrusting her hips towards him.

"Slow down Liv," Elliot said into her ear. He pushed her hair back and kissed the exposed skin behind her ear as he pushed inside of her. He heard Olivia gasp as she took a sharp breath. He paused for a moment, giving her body time to adjust to his invasion.

Olivia was close to the edge before Elliot entered her. It didn't take long for his rhythmic movements to push her over the edge. She let out a long, deep moan as intense waves of pleasure over took her body.

Hearing Olivia's cries and feeling her writhing beneath him was all it took for Elliot. After a few final thrusts he joined Olivia in ecstasy.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"Jersey State Police picked up Hughes early this morning racing down the interstate. They're bringing her in now," Cragen announced the next morning once all his detectives had arrived. "Fin, I want you doing the interview."

"You got it Captain," Fin replied.

"Think she'll give it up?" Olivia asked, watching as Fin questioned Jennifer Hughes in the interrogation room.

"All that rage? It won't take long before she blows her top," Elliot predicted.

"You killed your kids, your own flesh and blood," Fin taunted. He was right in Jennifer's face, not giving her any room to escape. He had started out trying to coax a confession out of her but was quickly losing his patience.

"That baby wouldn't shut up!" Hughes yelled. "Cry, cry, cry, scream, scream, scream! I got tired of putting up with her shit!"

"And Cayden?" Fin asked.

"Cayden was a wimp, a pussy. Good for nothing kid. He was no son of mine," she replied in a disgusted tone. "I kicked him out of the house; I guess he decided to live out back. Then, one night when the baby wouldn't shut up, Cameron got up and took her away. I guess he put her outside with Cayden. Cameron was the only one worth anything. The only one who had any sense about him."

"And you still felt the need to beat the shit out of him?" Fin asked as he slammed down pictures from Cameron's medical records, documenting the abuse.

"How do you think he got to be such a good boy?" Hughes said with an evil smirk on her face.

"That kid never had a chance," Elliot said on the other side of the glass.

"He was probably a decent kid at one point," Olivia said, with a blank look on her face.

Elliot could hear a hint of depression in her voice. He figured she was thinking about having to kill him. "He was a sociopath Liv," He reminded her. "Cameron was beyond help at this point. You saved Hailey's life."

"I know," Olivia said. Elliot could tell she was still a bit upset by the tone of her voice. Olivia walked away and sat down at her desk.

"Do we think Cayden is alive?" Cragen asked Elliot and Munch.

"Impossible to tell," Munch answered. "He had to learn early on how to survive with practically nothing, so he has that going for him, but he's still an 11 year old kid all alone in the big city."

"Let's canvas homeless shelters, soup kitchens, anywhere the kid might be hiding," Cragen instructed.

"That should be easy enough," Munch said sarcastically.

"Do you have a better idea?" Cragen shot back.

"Guys! I've got something," Olivia called from the squad room.

Cragen, Elliot and Munch hurried out to her desk.

"We've got a lead; a lady saw the missing person report on the news this morning then recognized Cayden in Central Park on her lunch break."

"If you hurry you might be able to catch up with him," Cragen ordered. His detectives were already grabbing their jackets on the way out the door.

Munch and Fin separated from Elliot and Olivia trying to cover a larger area of the park. Cragen arrived with the search dogs and it didn't take long before the area was swarming with cops. They canvassed the entire area but there was no sign of Cayden. After several hours, SVU headed back to the precinct to chase down other leads.

Elliot looked up from his computer shortly after midnight. It had been a long day and they didn't have much to go on. The squad room had pretty much emptied out except for a few stray cops and the cleaning crew. He looked over at Olivia and smiled. She had fallen asleep on her desk. He was pleased to see her sleeping; he knew she needed to rest.

He picked her up and carried her upstairs to the crib. He laid her down on one of the bottom bunks and took her shoes off. He tucked her in and kissed her on the forehead before settling into the bed across from her.

"El," Olivia said softly. "Elliot," she shook his shoulder gently. It was almost 7:00 and everybody would be arriving soon. Elliot started to stir. "Elliot, wake up."

"What time is it?" he asked, groggy.

"Almost 7:00," Olivia told him.

"I'm up," Elliot said. He stood and stretched his arms over his head while yawning. He brought his arms down around Olivia and pulled her in for a hug. "Let's take a walk and get some coffee," he said, "My treat."

Elliot and Olivia stepped out into the chilly morning air. Olivia latched onto Elliot's arm as they walked down to the nearest coffee shop. Neither of them said much along the way. Olivia was too cold and Elliot was still trying to wake up. They were both looking forward to the coffee to wake them up and warm them up.

Elliot ordered for them while Olivia stood next to him shivering. He could hear her teeth chattering. While they were waiting he stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He held her tight against his body trying to warm her up with his body heat. When their order was up they each grabbed their coffee and Elliot grabbed the small paper sack that had their breakfast in it and they headed back to the precinct.

Cragen called Elliot, Olivia, Munch and Fin into his office shortly before lunch.

"Cayden just checked himself into a hotel using a stolen credit card. The manager recognized him from the missing persons report and gave him a room. He's going to try to keep him there."

"You want all of us to go?" Elliot asked.

"This kid is sneaky. I don't want him slipping by us again. Let's make sure we snatch him this time," Cragen ordered.

Elliot and Olivia quietly made their way down the hall to Cayden's room while Munch and Fin guarded the elevators at either end of the hall. Elliot swiped the key card. He and Olivia both had their guns drawn.

"NYPD" he called out as they entered the room.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Elliot and Olivia quickly cleared the small hotel room. Olivia opened the door to the bathroom and saw him. Cameron was lying on the floor in a small pool of his own blood. There was a razor blade next to his body. He had slit his wrists.

"Elliot!" Olivia called out as she raced to the boy. She grabbed both of his wrists and put as much pressure on them as she could to stop the bleeding.

"I need a bus!" Elliot yelled into his portable radio.

Elliot felt for a pulse while Olivia kept pressure on Cayden's wrists.

"He's got a pulse," Elliot said.

Munch and Fin were standing at the bathroom door, ready to help if they needed to. Cayden started waking up as Olivia and Elliot were working on him.

"We're police officers Cayden. We're here to help you," Olivia told him.

"Please just let me die," Cayden said weakly before passing out again.

Olivia was horrified at what she heard. There was no way she was going to let him die.

"He's going into shock," Elliot said. "I need some blankets he told Munch and Fin.

Fin pulled the spare blankets out of the closet next to him and tossed them towards Elliot and Olivia. Elliot covered Cayden up and propped his feet up on the side of the bathtub. He checked for a pulse every couple minutes to make sure they didn't need to start CPR.

"How are you doing Liv?" Elliot asked her in the middle of the chaos.

"I'm fine," Olivia said. Elliot heard her voice crack and knew she was stressed but he was proud of her. She was holding herself together and doing everything she needed to do. It seemed to take forever but the medics finally arrived and took over Cayden's care. They quickly got him into the back of the ambulance and rushed him to Mercy General Hospital.

* * *

"What have we got?" Cragen asked, joining Elliot and Olivia outside Cayden's hospital room. Cayden had been stabilized and the moved to the pediatric ward because they needed the space in the emergency room.

"He cut deep enough to lose a decent amount of blood, but he's going to make it," Olivia said.

"The doctor said Olivia saved his life," Elliot added, trying to restore Olivia's broken confidence. "If she hadn't acted so quickly he probably wouldn't have made it."

"Good job Detective," Cragen said, patting Olivia on the shoulder.

"His back is covered in healed scars," Olivia continued. "The doctor thinks he might have been whipped with a thin belt or something like that. He has burns, probably from cigarettes, all over his arms. He's covered in bruises in all stages of healing. X-rays show broken bones which the doctor doesn't think he received any medical attention for because of how they healed."

"It's a miracle this kid is alive," Elliot added. They all stood in silence as they watched Cayden through the glass. He was sleeping. The doctors had given him something to help bring his anxiety level down and it had knocked him out.

"He just might have a chance," Cragen said as he turned and patted his two detectives on the back before heading down the hall.

Elliot and Olivia went out for an early dinner while Cayden was sleeping. They had missed lunch and the nurse promised to call as soon as he woke up. They had just ordered dessert when Elliot got the call. He canceled desert and they headed back to the hospital.

"Why didn't you just let me die?" Cayden asked quietly when they entered the room.

Olivia knew he was upset, she could see it on his face. "How do you feel?" Olivia asked, deciding to ignore Cayden's question.

Cayden pursed his lips and turned his head away from the detectives. Elliot and Olivia pulled up a chair on the side of Cayden's bed that was closest to the door.

"Cayden?" Elliot said.

"Where's my Mom?" Cayden asked quietly.

Elliot looked at Olivia and then back at Cayden. Cayden was still facing away from them. "She's in jail Cayden," Elliot told him.

Cayden slowly rolled over and studied Elliot.

"She can't hurt you anymore," Olivia added.

"What's gonna happen to me?" Cayden asked.

"We're going to find you somewhere to live. Somewhere with people who will love you and take care of you," Olivia told him.

"Nobody loves me," Cayden said sternly.

Olivia's heart sank when she heard how confident Cayden was that in his last statement. Olivia stood and moved closer to Cayden's bed. Cayden flinched when Olivia got close. Olivia noticed and backed up a little bit.

"That's not true Cayden," Olivia told him. She could tell by the look on his face that he didn't believe her. She knew there was nothing she could say that would make him believe her. It was going to take time.

"The only person who ever loved me is gone," Cayden said. He turned away from them again. "I killed her."

"Who Cayden?" Elliot asked gently.

"My sister," Cayden answered.

"Mm-hmm. What happened?" Elliot continued.

"Cameron brought her out to live with me one night. I don't know why. I think they hated her... just like they hated me. Mom and Cameron threw us away, like garbage. But I loved her, and she loved me. At least I think she did," Cayden hesitated. Tears were building in his eyes. "One night she wouldn't stop crying," he said as he began to cry. "She was cold, I wrapped her in the blanket and held her. I sat with her all night, till she was finally quiet. Then I fell asleep." Cayden stopped talking and started staring off into space.

Elliot took a tissue and handed it to Cayden. He flinched, like Elliot was going to hit him.

"It's ok," Elliot said quickly. Cayden took the tissue from Elliot and wiped his face. "What happened next?" Elliot asked him.

Cayden stared into Elliot's eyes for a moment before speaking. "The next morning, she didn't wake up. I tried to wake her up, but she wouldn't and I left. I just left her there, all alone." Cayden started crying hysterically.

Elliot stood from his chair and sat on the edge of Cayden's bed. It was clear that Cayden didn't trust adults, especially women, after what his mother had done to him but Elliot wasn't going to let him suffer alone anymore. Cayden let Elliot hug him while he cried. His body was stiff and rigid at first but soon he melted into Elliot.

"Cayden," Elliot said softly into the boy's hair. "You took really good care of your sister. It wasn't your fault that she died, Son." Elliot patted Cayden's back while he cried, trying to calm him.

Olivia went into the bathroom in his room and found a washcloth. She wet it and took it out to Cayden. Cayden let her wipe his face. Olivia could tell he was still a little uncomfortable but he was beginning to trust her and Elliot. She wanted nothing more than to be able to fix everything that had gone wrong in his life.

Elliot and Olivia stayed with Cayden until he had calmed down. They wanted to make sure he was going to be ok before they left. They promised to return later and check on him.

"You did good Liv," Elliot told her as they walked out of the hospital.

"It was my turn to save one," Olivia told him.

"It doesn't work like that," Elliot said.

"I know, but this time it did," Olivia said.

**THE END**


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